Girl trouble
by GingerLikeDylanKeogh
Summary: Dylan Keogh was insistent that he work alone in Holby ED, but always made an exception for Ben 'Lofty' Chiltern.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

The air outside was crisp as Lofty walked into the ED. All around him sat patients still waiting to be seen as he walked to the front desk and dropped his rucksack at his feet.

"Morning Sunshine" called Rita as she walked over to greet him. "You'll be with Dr Keogh today, Loft" she smiled, patting him on the back in sympathy.

It was a known fact among the staff at Holby that Dylan Keogh was difficult to work with; it seemed even Dylan himself knew this, judging by his constant insistence that he work alone rather than with a helping hand. However, he always made an exception for Lofty. Over the past few months the two men had grown closer after settling their differences and embracing each other's flaws. This came to a surprise to a majority of the staff, because everyone knew what Dylan was like. He was not a man of great expression when it came to things as mundane as emotion; it seemed the doctor was not capable of processing when a patient was in distress and was seeking comforting words - rather than a cold diagnosis and a rehearsed apology. This is where working with someone like Lofty came in hand, because Ben 'Lofty' Chiltern was the complete opposite of Dylan Keogh. Lofty was kind and compassionate. He would actively go out of his way to help someone in need, and never let anyone down. Lofty was caring – he was incredible with working with the younger patients, compared to Dylan. But Lofty didn't mind that about Dylan. In fact, in a way he liked it.

"Hurry up, mate. Keogh will be on your back if you don't make a move!" warned Max, as he brushed what remained of yesterday's mess up.

And with that, Lofty took his bag to the staff room and dumped his possessions into his locker. After changing into his clean scrubs, he tried to neaten up his hair as much as he could. Lofty remembered how Dylan had once commented on how his hair was always messy, so whenever the two worked together Lofty would try to straighten his curls out a bit. Of course, this never usually ended well, as his hair had a mind of its own that did not want to comply with Lofty's feeble attempts at a hair brush. After giving up on hopelessly trying to tame his mop, Lofty headed out of into the ED to meet Dr Keogh.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you'd gotten to." Dylan said, with very little life in his words. "I was going to assume you'd fallen into a bin or something."

Lofty tried not to laugh but couldn't contain the small chuckle that slipped out. Even Dylan seemed to half smile at the remark, as he carefully stitched the gaping cut on the patient's forehead. Lofty handed Dylan the scissors to finish the job, while making casual conversation with the man on the cubicle bed.

"I hate coming to hospitals." The old man huffed. "Especially for something as small as a scratch on the head. But of course the missus wasn't having any of it!" he laughed.

Lofty smiled at the pensioner, as Dylan tidied up his suturing. The two men had become a team over the past few weeks, Lofty comfortably filling the silent gaps Dylan always struggled to fill. Dylan admired this about Lofty; he seemed to complete the doctor at times when he only felt half alive. Life had been lonely living by himself since Sam left. Even with Dervla's constant affection, it just wasn't the same on the boat. But since making a truce with Lofty – Dylan's mind was less lonely and empty.

There was a steady flow of patients throughout their shift, and each round of treatment had been to Dylan's high standards of success. However, something strange had begun to grow inside Dylan's head. Working with Lofty was usual for the doctor; he had done it countless times before today. But there was something different about today. Every witty response or kind-hearted gesture Lofty would make led to a flutter in Dylan's stomach, a light-headed feeling that made him feel short of breath. He found the behaviour strange but concluded it wasn't anything serious – he was sure it was merely a fever of sorts.

"Are you okay?" he heard Lofty's voice say. But Dylan couldn't respond, simply standing with one hand against the corridor wall.

"Dylan? Dylan snap out it!" Lofty urged, gently nudging the doctor with his shoulder.

Startled, Dr Keogh's eyes opened wide as he frantically blinked around the room – trying to find something to readjust to. Of course, Lofty was standing right in front of him. Dylan stared at Lofty for a minute trying to breathe slowly, as Lofty awkwardly shifted from left foot to right and back again. After a moment of silence, Dylan straightened up and regained control of the situation.

"Ahem….. um… sorry" Dylan coughed.

"Oh no, it's fine – really! Are you alright? What happened to you?" Lofty reassured him, his eyes full of both worry and relief.

"Oh, well, it um… it happens quite a lot when I'm at home. I'll just be sitting having a conversation with Dervla for a moment and then all of a sudden everything kind of… goes away, I suppose. It's nothing serious, it just happens when I'm thinking about something." Dylan sighed and rubbed his forehead, before stretching his back and walking away from the young nurse.

"Come along, Benjamin. You should know it's never not busy in here!" Dr Keogh called from down the corridor. He seemed different to Lofty somehow, suddenly more lively, more energetic. Lofty stood still for a moment, and then realised something.

"Did he just call me Benjamin?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two 

Lofty sat at the table in the staff room with Robyn; it was their lunch break, and it had become a custom for the two to share their hour laughing at the latest celebrities and talking. Lofty yawned and scratched his head as Robyn focused on the magazine she had poised in one hand. Happily, she crunched the chocolate bar grasped in her other as she began to read aloud from one of the articles.

"Mystic Mandy can predict your dream partner with just these simple questions" she cooed, her eyes wide and looking at Lofty - as if to imply he would be her test subject. Lofty's face dropped after a moment of recognition; he shook his head.

"No Robyn, I hate those tests. They don't tell you anything!" he reasoned, but the red haired nurse just laughed.

"Come on, what harm can it be? Okay question one… which of these dates sounds the most appealing to you: A) Going for drinks in a loud nightclub B) A quiet night in with a takeaway C) A fun outdoor activity?" she asked curiously. The male nurse sat for a moment and contemplated the options. He had never been the type to stay out partying; he always found it too loud to actually hear what anyone was saying. Lofty wasn't very good at outdoor sports either, always finding a new way to trip and fall flat on his face.

"It'll have to be B, then" he huffed, an irritated tone in his voice. Robyn used the Biro lodged behind her ear to tick the appropriate box, before heading to the next question.

"Okay question two… ooh this is a fun one – which of the following words would you use to describe yourself: A) Athletic, competitive and confident…" She winced, almost bursting into laughter, "B) Sweet, sincere and kind… or C) Witty, popular and relaxed?" This was the reason Lofty hated these kinds of personality tests; they made him feel like an idiot for actually trying to match his quirky self up with any of the categories.

"B, again… I'm telling you this isn't even worth the paper it's printed on. It's all a bunch of-"

"Question three!" Robyn interrupted, "Which of the following traits attracts you the most: A) Confidence, B) Caring or C) Successful?" She set the chocolate bar down and sipped from the mug of tea sitting next to her. Lofty furrowed his brow and gently rested his head in his hands.

"Caring?" he sighed. "I don't really care about the other two, they don't define a person in a way as nice as being a caring person does." He admitted. A variety of different questions were tossed back and forth, and soon Lofty grew tired of such a repetitive activity. Finally, Robyn's eyes lit up and Lofty knew this signaled the end of the quiz, a moment he was glad had finally come.

"Okie dokie, mostly Bs… Mystic Mandy has predicted your soulmate has a hard shell to crack, but can occasionally demonstrate a soft side if you look for it. They have a strong moral compass and are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Your dream partner prefers to be alone sometimes, but is a great addition to any team. They may be a tough cookie but they are worth it in the long run." Robyn looked unimpressed by the prognosis, letting the magazine tumble to the counter surface as she finished her snack.

"You're right; maybe it is all a sham…." She sighed. Just as Robyn flipped the page to begin reading from another pointless article, a head popped around the staff room door.

"Ready?" Dylan asked, his voice seeming slightly higher. Lofty's face lit up; this was his chance to escape Robyn's embarrassing interrogation without coming across in a nasty way.

"Absolutely."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

"I don't believe in things like that" Dylan said bluntly, "I think if someone comes around and you like them then you should go after them. The entire concept of every person having a 'type' just seems too naïve. It's never that easy." Lofty stood at the doctor's side for a moment, as Dylan examined the file of the patient who lay in front of them. The woman was unconscious, which meant the two men could have a less professional conversation. The nurse looked around the cubicle for another point of conversation; the current topic was not exactly a favourite of his.

"Don't you agree?" Dylan raised an eyebrow at Lofty. The nurse shifted from foot the foot for a moment, before finally answering.

"I don't really have any experience with that sort of thing…" Lofty's voice trailed off. It was clear by the look on Dylan's face that he was surprised by this piece of information; the frown lines on his forehead an obvious indicator.

"Ah…" Dylan coughed, he hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to speak – but then closing it again. "…Might I ask why?" he finally asked, curiously. Lofty looked down and began to tug at his wrist; clearly he was feeling anxious about what he could possibly say. He wished he had just agreed with Dylan, but they were too far gone to go back now.

"No one has ever really wanted me, I suppose." Lofty managed to say, in an attempt to clear the lump from his throat. Dylan's frown instantly faded and his face softened. Of all people, Dylan Keogh could sympathise with the prospect of not feeling wanted. He had grown up in care after all; his cheating good-for-nothing father abandoning himself and his struggling mother when Dylan was merely 15 years old. The cubicle fell silent for a minute, and Dylan now saw that his enquiries should have stayed in his mind rather than being voiced to his companion. Dylan put a hand on Lofty's shoulder and Lofty turned to face him.

"Ben… I-" Dylan's voice trailed off. They stood silently for a moment, just looking at each other. Lofty had never noticed how blue Dylan's eyes were. The two usually avoided eye contact, but now they were beginning to wonder why.

"I don't think you're completely unwanted, my dear" a voice chuckled from the cubicle bed. Lofty turned to see the woman; she had regained consciousness. Eyes instantly darting back to Dylan, Lofty realised the doctor seemed somehow closer to him than he had earlier. The nurse took a quick breath and broke the link between himself and the doctor.

"I'll um… go and get… that thing… that we need…"Lofty improvised, rubbing the back of his neck. The nurse stumbled over Dylan's foot, crashing into a small trolley parked at the front of the cubicle. Dylan cleared his throat and straightened up.

"Yes Ben, you go… do that… thing" he tried to say confidently, before taking a deep breath and reassessing his purpose in the room.

Practically running, Lofty darted out of the ED to hide from Dr Keogh, finding solitude in the men's toilets. He felt short of breath and could not focus on his reflection in the mirror. Panicking, he splashed cold water onto his face. His cheeks were burning up; what was wrong with him?

He sat on the floor of the men's toilets with his back leaning against the cool tiles on the wall. Hands shaking slightly, he wrapped them behind his neck and tried to breathe. There was a faint humming coming from the ceiling fan at the other side of the room which seemed to bring Lofty comfort. He checked his phone to see how long he had been gone; it had been nearly 20 minutes. Lofty began to wonder what had happened in the cubicle, why he had suddenly started to freeze up, why all of a sudden there were alarm bells in his head and his heart was beating so fast he thought it might implode. He had never felt anything as bad as this before, as terrifying as this before.

"Mate, what on earth are you doing?" he heard a familiar voice ask.

Lofty looked up to be greeted by the face of his flatmate, Max. He let out a sigh of relief at the fragment of normality that was staring at him. Lofty had never been so glad to see his friend.

"I um… I needed a minute," Lofty coughed. Max gave him a knowing look, raising one eyebrow at him like a parent.

"Come on, talk to Uncle Max. What's troubling you?" Max sighed, sloping down to sit next to his friend. Lofty was silent for a minute, trying to form an explanation in his head that would not make him sound off his rocker.

"I was just talking to… this friend… and we started looking into each other's' eyes… And all of a sudden I felt like I couldn't breathe, and my pulse was going like crazy. I just panicked! I ran straight in here to think; I don't know what's going on! I've never felt like this before!" The words fell out of Lofty's mouth so fast it was painful. Max began to smile, before putting an arm around Lofty.

"You, my curly haired friend, are experiencing girl trouble!" Max began, to Lofty's disbelief.

" _Girl_ trouble?" Lofty repeated, scratching his head.

"Listen, I'm no expert at suturing, or whatever it is you do… but I am an expert in things like this - and I am confidently diagnosing you with a bad case of being _in love_!" Max laughed. Lofty sat for a moment, thinking about what Max had just said. His face looked so confused, even Max could tell he was having a hard time comprehending what he'd said.

"I need to go," Lofty jumped up and dusted himself off. Max stood up to join him, running his hand through his hair while looking in the mirror.

"Are you gonna go talk to this mystery lady then?" Max teased. Lofty stood in the open door frame for a moment before peaking his head back into the restroom to reply.

"You could say that…" he choked, still finding it hard to comprehend Max's 'diagnosis'. Lofty found irony in Max using that word of all words in the dictionary; the way he was feeling really did feel like an illness. But what would it take to cure it? He knew he would have to figure it out sound, because surely he wouldn't be able to ignore it if it was _love._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

"I'll just collect your prescription and then you can call your daughter to collect you, Mrs Bingham." Dylan said in his most professional voice. The woman smiled and thanked him, before eyeing the doctor up.

"What's going on between you and that young man then, eh?" she chuckled, a grin forming across her delicately wrinkled face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dylan replied - his expression completely blank and his tone dull. The lady simply smiled more, practically beaming at the doctor. Dylan put his hands on his hips and frowned.

"Oh come off it, love. I may have cataracts in one eye but I saw the way you were looking at him. You like him." She exclaimed. Doctor Keogh's face turned red in an instant, causing him to turn to face the cubicle curtain rather than show his embarrassment. He began to take quick breaths to regain control of the situation.

"Your prescription…" his voice trailed off, completely ignoring the woman's silly smile. Dylan bolted out of the room to collect his patient's meds; he wanted her to leave the hospital as quickly as possible now. Unfortunately his movements were a bit too swift and before he knew it he had crashed into the one person he did not want to see him right now.

"Dylan! I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going and – " Lofty blurted out, frantically pulling the doctor up off the floor. Dylan cleared his throat and brushed himself off, trying to wipe the embarrassed rosiness from his cheeks.

"B-Ben, no, really it's fine it's my fault. I was in a world of my own honestly…" he coughed, but the nurse was shaking his head.

"I-I need to go…" Lofty declared, quickly disappearing from the doctor's view. Dylan let out a big sigh and rubbed his face, it was burning hot. He retrieved the small paper bag and delivered it to the woman, before speedily saying his goodbyes. Relieved he had escaped another awkward confrontation, Dylan made residence at the reception computer. Although he had searched into some random medical phenomenon, Dylan really just wanted to look like he was interested in something else so no one would question his odd behaviour. He stayed there for a while before finally deciding to make a cup of tea to relax his anxiety.

A familiar figure already stood at the staff room counter when Dylan entered the room. Lofty had not noticed Dylan in the door of the staff room; he was just lent against the counter, hunched over and facing the wall. His head was cupped into his arms, as if he was on a falling aircraft. Dylan stood for a moment, wondering what Lofty would say when he saw him and what he could possibly reply. A hundred different scenarios ran through the doctor's mind but he knew it was inevitable that none of them actually be the result. Lofty was always unpredictable in Dylan's eyes. He considered just turning back now and hiding somewhere until the end of his shift, but before he had the chance to decide it was too late.

"Want one?" he heard Lofty call, already flicking the kettle back on to heat up. It had just occurred to Dylan that his thought process had taken up so much time that the nurse had turned to see the doctor, stood like a statue in the door frame.

"Yes, please," he finally coughed, shuffling into the room and taking a seat on the sofa, cautiously.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

"One sugar and no milk, correct me if I'm wrong?" Lofty quickly turned to confirm before adding to the mug. Dylan didn't reply, he simply sat with his arms crossed, staring at the ground. Lofty squinted at him, confused at what was wrong. Assuming he was right, Lofty made Dylan's tea and brought it over to him. He rested the mug on the coffee table, and took a seat at the other end of the sofa.

There was a long silence; the only noises made by the innocent gulps of Lofty sipping his tea.

"You are inexplicably enthusiastic," Dylan spoke, abruptly. He turned to face Lofty; his face looked even more confused than when he sat down. Dylan jumped up from the sofa; he began pacing back and forth in the staff room. Lofty's eyes followed the doctor, watching him walk from one end of the room to the other.

"You are constantly trying to find the bright side to everything. The level of kindness you offer to practically everyone leaves me dumbfounded every day. You have a way with people that simply eludes me. You care too much at times when you are expected to not care at all." He exclaimed, parading from the left side of the room to the right and back again.

"Your sickeningly naïve optimism makes me sometimes question your capability; you're hardly ever not smiling like a fool; your hair resembles that of a cleaning mop; in fact I'm quite certain I've never met-" the doctor stated, before hesitating for a moment, "... anyone as opposite to me as you."

Dylan finished in the centre of the room, facing the nurse still sitting on the sofa. His face still completely puzzled, he gulped down the lump in his throat.

"I don't know what's come over you, Dylan, but if I've done something wrong them I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just leave-"

"No, you haven't done anything wrong Ben. And I wish you would stop assuming you always have." Dylan interrupted, shaking his head.

"Well, if I haven't done anything wrong then why are you telling me all this?" Lofty argued, standing up to match the height of the doctor. Dylan met his eyes and kept the contact as he spoke, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm reminding myself who _you_ are. And who _I_ am. I – I –I'm Dylan Keogh," He stuttered "I'm cold, I'm rude; I know little to nothing about the concept of basic human kindness. I actively display a lack of empathy and have proven to be incapable of thriving in any form of social situation. I enjoy the company of a dog over any human contact; I regularly mistreat my colleagues, especially you and your constant goodwill. I really _do_ wish you would stop being so nice to me because I think I'm in love with-" he stopped, and rubbed his eyes. His heart was beating as fast as it had earlier, during the eye contact he had had with Lofty. Lofty had moved from the sofa and was now stood examining Dylan's behaviour.

There was another silence.

Dylan felt like such a fool. He had allowed his words to escape his head without thinking them over and now he had dug himself a hole too deep to climb out of unharmed. There would be no opportunity to dash out of the room for air this time – he was treading water in the deep end and was being dragged down with every additional word he said. How could he have put all his emotion on the line like that? Dylan rarely showed emotion; this was unlike him in every sense. But being with Lofty made his pulse race like mad and he felt like he was suffocating in fear of saying something wrong or mean. He had done that before and it had crushed him when Lofty was at the firing end. Dylan just stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed and slightly hunched over while looking down again. Lofty was merely metres away, eyes still watching him, not saying a word. It almost made Dylan want to wince, the sheer agony of how embarrassed he felt in front of the nurse. He didn't need to feel his cheeks to know he was almost crimson.

He waited for Lofty to reject him, waited to be pushed back into his corner of self-pity and criticism. Dylan bit his lip, he knew he had ruined everything. He always did.

"I'm such a bloody idiot I shouldn't have ever-" Dylan began.

"Shut up!" Lofty exclaimed, throwing his lips onto Dylan's to stop him from talking with such force it shocked the doctor entirely, causing his knees to buckle. Dylan's eyes turned wide as he struggled to comprehend what was happening, and slowly grew heavier and heavier as the kiss went on. Soon his eyes were completely shut and he was sure this was not reality. Finally Lofty spoke.

"You're Dylan Keogh and I'm Ben Chiltern and I think I've fallen in love with you too."


End file.
